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Shogun
The Shogun was the commanding general of the Imperial Legions and the military ruler of the people when the Emperor could not, or would not, lead the Emerald Empire. The office of the Shogun had first been proposed by Sun Tao, the famous ronin military tactician. The Shogun could overthrow the ruling Emperor of Rokugan with military force if he saw that the Emperor was not fulfilling his duties to the Empire in a competent or honorable way. Right of Honor, Strength of Steel, by Rich Wulf Shogunate The purpose of this general would be to advise the Emperor in all matters of military conflict, protecting the Son of Heaven from the spiritual stain of warfare and from concerns that were beneath him. In his writings, he called this general the “seii taishogun,” Imperial Archives, p. 13 Sun Tao proposed the idea of the Shogunate to Hantei Genji. The Shining Prince was initially reluctant, but eventually he was convinced of the wisdom in the proposal. The ronin general believed the Empire would spread, the Emperor would be too busy, so a leader of the Imperial forces would be necessary to be appointed to defend the Empire. Emerald Empire: Third Edition, p. 114 Duties The Shogun was responsible to gather, train and maintain an army to protect the Empire from internal and external threats. It acted as a check against the power of the Emerald Champion, ensuring that neither commanded too much of the Emperor's direct military power. Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 27 Its specific duties were: Imperial Archives, pp. 17-18 * To act as General and Supreme Commander of the Imperial Legions, second only to the Emperor * To maintain a standing army * To advise the Emperor in all matters of war * To enforce sakoku * To rule when the Emperor was unable or unwilling * Court and festival percussion Motto The war banners of the Shogun often contained the characters that displayed the motto that most simply defined the purpose of the office of the Shogun: The Shogun's Armory (Lotus flavor) First Shogun Akodo Kaneka, the illegitimate son of Akodo Toturi and the geisha Hatsuko, conspired with the Unicorn Clan Champion Moto Chagatai to create the title of Shogun so that Kaneka could wield official power that rivaled the other Four Winds. Secrets of the Unicorn, p. 10 The title of Shogun was first bestowed in 1159 upon him. Secrets of the Crab, p. 10 Shogun's Fealty At that time, Shosuro Higatsuku, Akodo Ijiasu, Moto Chagatai, Hida Hitoshi, Kitsuki Remata and Yoritomo Kumiko shattered their wakizashi, much like the divine Kami had done to show loyalty to their brother and the first Emperor of Rokugan, Hantei. This action marked the official creation of the office of Shogun in the Emerald Empire. Kaneka's personal retinue began to refer to themselves as the Bakufu, a military term that referred to a general's personal advisors. Imperial Archives, p. 14 Imperial Legions After the death of Iuchiban in 1166 the Emerald Magistrates continued to enforce the Emperor's laws, but the Imperial Legions followed only the orders given by the Shogun. Heavy Infantry (Lotus flavor) The Ministry of Martial Levies, which fell under the command of the Emerald Champion, became also answerable to the Shogun. Secrets of the Empire, p. 120 Moto Jin-sahn Moto Jin-Sahn of the Unicorn Clan was appointed as the new Shogun of the Imperial Legions by Empress Iweko I. The Conclusion, Part Five, by Shawn Carman Shiba Danjuro Shiba Danjuro served as Shogun himself briefly after Moto Jin-Sahn's retirement, but abdicated shortly thereafter. The Resolution Series: The Shireikan's Student (Storyline Tournament) Known Shogun The following is a list of the known Shogun: Champion Shogun Category:Rokugani Language Category:Articles with Pictures Category:Imperial Titles